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(No Model.) F. H. BOLTE. BICYCLE FRAME, &c.

No; 499,707. Patented June 20, 1893. 7

UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANK H. BOLTE, OF MILW'AUKEE, \VISOON SIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE SEROOMBE-BOLTE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BICYCLE-FRAM E, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,707, dated June 20,1893.

Application filed November 22, 1892. Serial No. 452,757. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. BOLTE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State ofWVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBicycle- Frames, be. and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of bicyclesby providing a frame and steering fork having a maximum of strength incomparison to a minimum of weight, and said invention consists incertain peculiarities of construction and combination of partshereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings andsubsequently claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improvedframe and a portion of the steering fork; Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 detailsections respectively taken on lines 22, 33,4L4= and 55 of the precedingfigure; Fig. 6, a like view taken on line 6+6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a planview of a portion of the crank-hanger inverted; Fig. 8 a detail frontelevation of my improved fork-joint partly in section, and Fig. 9, asection taken on line 99 of the preceding figure.

Referring by letter to the drawings A represents a steering-head in theform of a vertically disposed tube that forms the front of my improvedframe and receives the shank B of the steering-fork. In the presentinstance the steering-fork shank B is a tube having its lower end brazedor otherwise rigidly secured in an eye-socket O and likewise secured inthe horizontal or eye portion of the socket is another tube D, thelatter and socket-eye being preferably of elliptical contour. Thebranches E of the fork are also tubular and primarily notched at theirupper ends to engage the horizontal tubes D, the notches beingsufliciently deep as to permit of the adjacent portions 1) of thefork-branches being bent down upon said horizontal tube, the joint thusformed being afterward made permanent by brazing. By this construction,I avoid the employment of the usual dropforgings at the joint betweenthe fork-shank and branches, thereby reducing weight without'anysacrifice of strength.

Brazed to the steering-head or front-tube A are rearwardly divergingreach-tubes F, Gr, the first or upper one of which is approximatelyhorizontal and the other at an acute angle thereto. The lower reach-tubeG has its rear lower end brazed to a tubular crank-hanger H that issimilar to the one set forth in my prior Patent No. 478,391, of July 5,1892, the same consisting of a section of tubing cut out to form seatsthat engage the adjacent frame tubes.

In order to obtain a greater bearing and brazing surface for thereach-tube G on the crank-hanger I-I,I now provide the latter withacontinuous flange I that overlaps said reachtube, this flange being animprovement on my prior construction of said crank-hanger. Like flangesmaybe arranged to surround the other seats in the crank-hanger if foundnecessary or desirable. Brazed at its lower end to the crank-hanger is avertically disposed staytube J, shown as having its upper end providedwith a horizontal eye 0 that engages the upper reach tube F, and isbrazed thereto, but this braze-joint may be otherwise formed withoutdeparture from my invention.

Like in my above named patent, rearwardly extended tubes have theirforward ends brazed in seats cut in the under side of the tubularcrank-hanger, the rear ends of these tubes K and the terminals of acentrally bent tube L being joined to supports d for the rear axle ofthe complete bicycle. The centrally bent tube L forms an arch thatengages an eyecoupling (2 fast on the upper reach-tube F in front of thestay-tube J, whereby the diverging portions of the arch necessarilycross said stay-tube and with the latter form a very strong brace forsaid reach-tube. As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the stay-tube J isprovided with a rigid collar f having lugs g brazed to the arch-tube Land thus this latter tube also serves as a means for bracing the formeras well as the upper reach-tube.

The frame herein described is ordinarily built to order in proportion tothe reach of the rider, and therefore it is preferable to have the uppertube F extend a certain distance in rear of the stay-tube J to receive asaddle-clip M, the latter being shown inFigs. 1, 3 and 4.. In thisconstruction of the frame the rear portion of tube F is stiffened by theinsertion of a diametrical plate N as is also shown in Figs. 1, 3 and4:, but it would be no departure from the spirit of my invention to sojoin the tubes F, J, as to permit of the latter receiving a verticallyadjustable saddlero post.

It is possible to utilize rods insteadof tubes for any or all of theparts F, G, J, K, and L, but tubes are preferable for many well knownreasons. However in some respects one is the r 5 equivalent of the otherand therefore the term tube herein employed is to be construed foritself .or said equivalent without specific qualification.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bicycle steeringfork comprising a shank in the form of a tube, ahorizontal tube rigidly connected at its center to the lower a 5 end ofthe shank, and tubular branches having eyes formed in their upper endsand these eyes rigidly engaged by the horizontal tube, substantially asset forth.

2. A bicycle-frame comprising-a vertically 0 disposed steering-head,reach-tube diverging rearward from the steering-head, a crankhangerjoined to the lower reach-tube, a staytube connecting the crank-hangerand upper reach-tube, other tubes extended rearward 5 from saidcrank-hanger, an arch-like brace connected at its apex to the upperreach-tube in front of the stay-tube, and axle-supports connecting thosetubes that extend rearward from the crank-hanger with the lower termi-4o nals of said brace,substantially as set forth.

' 3. A bicycle-frame comprising a vertically disposed steering-head,reach-tubes divergin g rearward from the steering-head, a crankhangerjoined to the lower reach-tube, a staytube connecting the crank-hangerand upper reach-tube, other tubes extended rearward from saidcrank-hanger, an arch-like brace connected at its apex to the upperreach-tube in front of the stay-tube, a rigid connection between thebranches of the brace and said stay-tube at the crossing-point of thesame, and axle-supports connecting those tubes that extend rearward fromthe crank-hanger with the lower terminals of said brace, substantiallyas set forth.

4.. A bicycle-frame comprising a vertically disposed steering-head,reach-tubes diverging rearward from the steering-head, a crankhangerjoined to the lower reach-tube, a staytube connecting the crank-hangerand upper reach-tube some distance forward of the rear end of the lattertube, other tubes extended rearward from said crank-hanger, an arch-likebrace connected at its apex to the upper reachtube in front of thestay-tube, and axle-supports connecting the lower terminals of the bracewith those tubes that extend rearward from the aforesaid crank hanger,substantially as set forth. i

5. A bicycle-framecomprising a vertically disposed steering-head,reach-tubes divergin g rearward from the steering-head, a crankhangerjoined to the lower reach-tube, astaytube connecting the crank-hangerand upper reach-tube some distance forward of the rear end of the lattertube, a stiffening-plate in the rearwardly extended portion of saidupper reach-tube, other tubes extended rearward from said crank-hanger,an arch-like brace connected at its apex to the aforesaid upperreach-tube in front of the stay-tube, and axle-supports connecting thelower terminals of the brace with those tubes that extend rearward fromthe aforesaid crank-hanger, substantially as set forth.

6. A bicycle-frame provided with a crankhanger in the form of a sectionof tubing cut out to form seats. that engage the adjacent frame tubes,and having a flange surrounding at least one of said seats,substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. BOLTE.

Witnesses:

N. E. OLIPHANT, JOHN E. WILES.

